Seeing where the birth of its name came from it does not surprise me to think of it as a Chinese spirit of death. A death-bringer, but not in an evil and malicious sort of way. It is cold and callous for sure but not evil or nocuous. Wicked perhaps but it just doesn't seem like Horng Poh-Buh would strive to maliciously cause injury or pain. he is a bringer of death and death isn't pretty but he does say that no one shall take their own life as long as I am around. Kind of a Dr. Kevorkian with actual intent. I like it.

Although I'm finding it difficult to imagine exactly what it looks like. Perhaps that is also its intent. Like he is so horrible the minds eye won't allow you to actually look directly at him.

I can see that. I can also see certain war campaigns running into this creepy bugger often and him asking the players, "Who is going to see me next I wonder? I am only a cry for help away!" Go to Comment

That is really, really innovative and different. It's short and I'm not super clear on quite what it is, as it strikes me almost as more of a god or ancestral spirit, but really intriguing and out of the ordinary. Terrific submission!

A small sea snail that grows a sound-emitting shell. The shell acts like a minor Thunderstone. it makes very little noise, but it considered a novelty edible when eaten raw, as the slug inside the shell makes an appealing low roll of thunder as it is sucked from the shell.

To be honest, I'm not all that sure either. I have grown up in a north-eastern US fishing village, and as such have a fair bit of knowledge about boating and some marine life, but don't know much about coral reefs, which I imagine Thunder Reef to be. I see them as a gathering place for aquatic animals to make homes and feed. Picture yellow and pink coral, of the sea sponge-like variety, growing near rocks and maybe a few shipwrecks. The idea was mostly for sea creatures with sonic properties, the reef was a loose idea to combine them. But, i was originally picturing it as existing as a barrier, to naturally protect from ships, as part of a remote island's ecosystem. I hope that helps a little. Go to Comment

Ditto; I take it visitors would rarely be surprised by the inhabitants. I'd like to see a bit more about the ecology and climate; not being very knowledgeable about aquatic environments, I'm having a hard time envisioning how all this would fit together. Go to Comment

My hat's off to you, sir, for this clever twist on two separate posts. Sound has always been a fascinating medium to me, and discord can be just as potent as harmony. As an exercise, how would you feel about a joint effort to expand both subs? I will consider your reef and add at least one idea, in the hopes that you will do the same for my woods.

Agitato dragons bear a strong resemblance to sea horses, and are considered bad luck by the locals. Like magpies of the sea, these palm-sized water-dragons spend their time scouring Thunder Reef for unguarded thunder jewels to add to their watery hoards. Often seen carrying (or dragging) a jewel in its long, prehensile tail, these critters cause no end of trouble for divers and sailors alike. For one, the silly creatures startle easily -- any unexpected noise (of which there are many), forbidding entity (ship, diver, predator), or large shadow (even their own!) will cause them to drop the jewel to the sea floor with a resounding boom. As if this weren't bad enough, the tiny pests can build up a dangerous cache of thunder jewels that can stun wildlife within a mile-wide radius, and even sink small vessels if allowed to go off. For this reason, sea merchants who must pass through Thunder Reef regularly will hire brave (or deaf) souls to seek out these hidden caches and disarm them.